Bringing together the students and graduates of 10 universities in the Eastern Anatolia Region and Turkey's leading institutions and organizations, the Eastern Anatolia Career Fair, which is hosted by Atatürk University under the coordination of the Presidential Human Resources Office (CBİKO), kicked off with a record participation.

Lead Ombudsman Şeref Malkoç, AK Party (Justice and Development Party) Erzurum Deputy Selami Altınok, Erzurum Governor Okay Memiş, Ağrı Governor Osman Varol, Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mehmet Sekmen, Ağrı Mayor Savcı Sayan, Atatürk University Rector Prof. Dr. Ömer Çomaklı, Former Minister of State Lütfü Esengün, rectors of the stakeholder universities, Erzurum province's civil, administrative and judicial officials, public institution managers, private sector representatives, academics, students and many citizens attended the opening ceremony held at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Fair Center.

The opening ceremony of the Eastern Anatolia Career Fair, which features the biggest and the largest human resources event in the region, took place with the participation of approximately 30 thousand people. Starting with a moment of silence and the singing of the National Anthem, the ceremony continued with the Erzurum Folk Songs Music Recital by Atatürk University Turkish Music State Conservatory. The opening speeches were made following the folklore dances and mehteran performances.

Making the opening speech of the Fair, MNG Management Services Manager Dr. Aydoğan Süer expressed his pleasure to be hosting such an important event as Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Fair Center, which he believes will contribute to the future of students and guide their career planning. Süer underlined that fair organization has become an important culture in Erzurum, adding that they have started the new period with the Eastern Anatolia Career Fair and that they will host more than ten fairs throughout the year.

Rector Çomaklı: "Our Goal is to Bring Qualified Workforce in Our Economy"

At the beginning of his speech Rector Çomaklı reminded that the DAKAF was hosted by Atatürk University before the pandemic. He also said: “I would like to express that we are happy and honoured to host all of our guests in Erzurum on the occasion of the Eastern Anatolia Career Fair (DAKAF), hosted by our university and held together with our partner universities in the region, supported by the Presidential Human Resources Office with the lofty and meaningful aim of equality of opportunity throughout the country.” 

Rector Çomaklı stated that as one of the leading universities in the world of science with its 65-year-old history and qualified manpower for the employment policies of our country with New Generation University policies, Atatürk University has strong ties with the business world, bringing to the fore career-oriented activities. “Serving as indispensable parts, universities have a great responsibility in maintaining the upward trend Turkey has recently achieved in the economic field, which aims to be among the 10 largest economies of the world.” He said. “Our most important goal is to bring educated individuals with a qualified workforce in the economy of the region and our country. We attach great importance to provide access for the young in the region to job and internship opportunities suitable for their qualifications. In this career fair, we aim to strengthen the relations of our undergraduates and graduates with the important institutions, organizations, companies and employers of the sector, and to provide students with direct access to information about professions and sectors. In this way. We aim to assist them in their career planning processes.” Çomaklı emphasized in his speech.

Rector Çomaklı stated that during the fair, which was held with the cooperation of 10 universities from the Eastern Anatolia Region, information will be shared on working life and sectors. "In addition, interviews and interview simulations will be carried out on job and internship issues, and representatives of various sectors will hold talks with students and graduates." he said, finishing his speech by thanking President of the Presidential Human Resources Office Assoc. Prof. Dr. Salim Atay, his administration and all internal and external stakeholders, including the city administrators, bureaucracy committee, sponsor companies, leading representatives of the sector, volunteers and students, who have contributed much to the organization of DAKAF.

Savcı Sayan: "Erzurum has a Further Meaning"

Ağrı mayor Savcı Sayan started his speech expressing his happiness to be in Erzurum, one of the biggest and most beautiful cities of the region. Underlining that they carry out works for the career planning of students together with local administrators and directors, he made the following remarks “Just as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan makes endeavours for the survival and future of the country, so we work for the youth of whom we are responsible for. Remember! Erzurum has a further meaning. You are not only Erzurum, you are also Kars, Ağrı and Muş. You are the big brother of the region. We will develop the region at all hands."

Mayor Sekmen: “DAKAF will Contribute to the Establishment of a Dialogue Channel with Youth”

Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mehmet Sekmen stated that the career days traditionalized by the Presidency's Human Resources Office opened a new horizon for young people, and wished DAKAF 22, hosted by Atatürk University and guiding the youth, yields good results. Pointing out that the defense system of the Republic of Turkey is now domestic and national, Sekmen said that the door to a new era has been opened with SİHAs and UAVs, and that those who will pass through this door are the bright young people of our country. Stating that he wholeheartedly believes that they will make very important development moves together with the youth in industry, agriculture, animal husbandry, infrastructure and superstructure, Sekmen told that they give priority to studies supported by science, so that they will carry out projects that will be pioneers not only in industry but also in agriculture, animal husbandry, organic agriculture and tourism. Underlining that they will make these breakthroughs together with the youth, Sekmen added that the career fair will also be instrumental in the formation of this communication channel.

Ağrı Governor Varol: “We have Modern Transportation Networks”

The Governor of Ağrı, Osman Varol started his speech expressing his gratitude for being together with such an exceptional group at the Eastern Anatolia Career Fair, organized by Atatürk University with its stakeholders. “The slogan ‘Ağrı! Discover Your Potential’ is what we put forward in all of the projects we carry out together with our stakeholders. We have modern highways, railways and airports in all of our cities. We have already built and have been building modern airports that can transport people from all over the world to the region. Our state provides agricultural investments of infrastructure to this region with all its opportunities, pursuing incentive policies to attract employment to this region in order to utilize our human resources. This great event, which is hosted by Erzurum today, the centre of our region, is of great importance to have these opportunities and to realize these potentials. For this reason, I congratulate everyone who has contributed to the realization of the organization and wish that DAKAF 22 brings good results for all participants.” the governor said.

Governor Memiş: “Young People! Important Duties Fall upon You”

Governor of Erzurum, Okay Memiş told that bringing together both the representatives of public institutions and organizations, and the leaders of the private sector is an important gain for the city. Memiş said: “In addition to ensuring the safety of the city, we create employment areas for our youth. You, our young people, have important duties in order to meet the demand for qualified work Erzurum needs, where many investments will be made, especially with the new year. I sincerely believe that you will become useful individuals for our nation by improving yourself. While planning your future, the experiences you will gain in these and similar events are of great importance. The business networks that you will establish with the sectors you feel close to will benefit you in the long term. With these thoughts, I wish that you make the most of DAKAF 22, which includes nearly 300 companies, and I wish that the fair is fruitful, and thank everyone who has contributed to."

Deputy Altınok: “We continue to carry out works that will enable you to look at the future with hope”

AK Party Erzurum Deputy Selami Altınok pointed out that DAKAF has brought together the differences and values of universities regarding their geography, and will open new horizons for students. He added: “My dear fellow citizens, you all welcome. For 20 years, under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, not one of our provinces, not one of our districts, and not one of our villages has been left without service. Nor is this all, of course, we have more work to do. We have a lot of fields to serve. We have very valuable young brothers like you. We will continue to carry out works that will enable you to look at the future with much more hope, enthusiasm and excitement.”

Şeref Malkoç: “It is the Future You will Establish that will restore Our Country to a more Prosperous Structure”

Chief Ombudsman Şeref Malkoç started his speech by expressing his thanks to everyone who has organized and pioneered such a great event. “Dear young people, you are Turkey's future, you are Turkey's hope, you are Turkey's excitement. You are the ones who will carry Turkey forward in the 21st century. In that respect, the better you educate yourself, the more beneficial you will be for yourself, your parents, your environment, and your country. Dear young people, new Aziz Sancars and new Selçuk Bayraktars will emerge from among you. I ask you to work for your country and never give away to despair. Thanks to the future that you will establish, our country will develop into a more prosperous structure. I hope that DAKAF 22, which we will open with these thoughts, will be fruitful for all our students and sector representatives.” Said Malkoç.

Events will Continue for 2 Days 

The interest of students and graduates was great in the fair, which was attended by nearly 300 institutions and organizations from the public and private sectors, which are leaders in their fields in our country and our region. In addition to the students of the host Atatürk University, thousands of students from partner universities and other schools in the region were hosted within the scope of the fair. In the fair, where a wide space is allocated to the fields of technology, design and innovation, the students, who have visited the stands of companies providing services in different fields such as software, informatics, technology and communication, and wanted to shape their career plan in the right direction, have the opportunity to share all the subjects they are curious about with the company officials. DAKAF 22, which has reached a wide audience with panels, presentations, seminars, information sessions, trainings, workshops, interviews and interview simulations, allows young people to determine their career areas suitable for their education, interests and skills, as well as to job and internship opportunities while they are still students. 

Ice Sculptures at the Fair in the Limelight

The ice sculptures located at the entrance of the Fair Centre by Atatürk University attracted great interest. In the fair area, to which the snow was brought by the Metropolitan Municipality teams with 35 trucks,  are the sculptures made from ice from Atatürk University Ata Ice Museum, and the works reflecting the history of Erzurum, which were made with the great efforts of students and academics for about a week, as well as Turkey's automobile TOGG and national combat aircraft, UAVs and SİHAs, also made from moulded ice.

Eastern Anatolia Career Fair will keep its doors open for its guests until the evening of 8 March.

CORPORATE COMMUNICATION DIRECTORATE – 07.03.2022